


Rappin' with Cap: Coronavirus Edition

by Ms_Ataraxia



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers are a family, COVID-19, Captain America's PSAs, Coronavirus, Gen, I love you guys, Thank you essential workers, Wash Your Hands, not a doctor, social distancing, stay safe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:42:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23446447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ms_Ataraxia/pseuds/Ms_Ataraxia
Summary: "Hi, I'm Captain America, and today I'm going to talk about an invisible enemy lurking in nearly every corner of the world. That's right, I'm talking about the Coronavirus."
Comments: 10
Kudos: 24





	1. What is the Coronavirus?

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! First thing I want to say (besides thanks for stopping by) is that I'm not a doctor. If you need medical advice, PLEASE ask your doctor. I just wanted to find a fun way to spread some information about this illness. If you know someone who is scared and likes superheros, maybe you could suggest this story to them. I'm here to help anyway I can. But again, I'm not a doctor!

Steve sighed as he shoved one of his gloves onto his hand. He hated this suit. His PSA suit. Whenever he wore it he pictured himself more as a caricature than a soldier. But he had to wear it. Not that anyone asked him to like they did when he filmed those school videos. This was different. This was possibly the most important PSA he would ever give. 

He scanned the library, making sure every book on the shelves lined up neatly. Then he drew back the blinds to let the sunlight fill the room. Then he closed them again. Anything to postpone the inevitable. 

He breathed deeply, then walked over to where his phone was propped up on a stack of books. He pressed record, put his hands on his hips, and smiled. 

“Hi, I’m Captain America, and today I’m going to talk about an invisible enemy lurking in nearly every corner of the world. That’s right, I’m talking about the Coronavirus. I know we all have questions we want answered and many of us feel frightened. That’s why I’ve created this series to help spread information, as well as hope, so that we all can be better prepared to defeat this enemy. 

“So, what exactly is the Coronavirus? Well, the Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, is a virus that can affect your respiratory system. Those who contract the virus may experience symptoms such as runny nose, sore throat, dry cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue, and fever. Some people even say they lost their senses of taste and smell while they were sick. 

“It is important to note that not everyone experiences these symptoms because not everyone experiences this disease the same way. If you believe you are sick, you should call your doctor. If you are experiencing more severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing or a high fever, you should go to the hospital immediately. 

“The good news is most people who come in contact with the virus experience low to mild symptoms, and some people contract it without even knowing it. But just because this may be the case for you, that doesn’t mean you should take the matter lightly. There are vulnerable men, women, and children in our communities that can get extremely sick or maybe even die because of this illness. That’s why we must all act like heroes and put others before ourselves. 

“Join us tomorrow as we talk about a key strategy being utilized to keep us all safe: social distancing. We may even have a few superhero special guests appear as well. And if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I will try to answer it as best I can. Until tomorrow, stay safe and stay inside. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.”

Steve turned the recording off and relaxed his smile. That wasn’t as bad as he feared it would be. Tomorrow he wouldn’t be so nervous. Oh who was he kidding? Of course he would be. It’s one thing to feel fear, and another to give in to it. He would do whatever it takes to save as many lives as he could. 

He took off his gloves as he strolled over to his desk. Then he took out a pen and paper and began jotting down notes for his next video.


	2. Social Distancing

“You didn’t have to do this, Tony.” 

“Of course I did. You filmed yesterday's video on your phone, and it’s not the newest model at that.” Tony fiddled with his massive video camera as he added some last minute “Stark” touches. “It looked ridiculous.”

“Look at me.” Steve spun around, modeling off his new and in no way improved suit that was extra blue, extra red, and extra uncomfortable. “How does this not look ridiculous?”

Tony feigned a sense of hurt. “How dare you criticize the suit I slaved over all night just for this vid series. The colors are for the kids.”

Steve tried to grab at the material around his biceps, but it clung to his skin like spider-man clings to a wall. “But why is it so tight?”

“That's for the adults”

“Tony-”

“-Relax, Steve. It was a joke.” Tony swung the camera onto his shoulder and put his eye up to the eyepiece. “You look stunning.”

“Gee, thanks.” Steve put his hands on his hips. “You ready?”

“Yeah, hold on. Not that I’m not loving your room setup right now, but I think we should switch up the scene a little bit. How about we shoot this thing in your office?”

“But...what's wrong with doing it here? We practiced here. I’m ready to do it here.”

Tony walked out the room, bidding Steve to follow him. “Trust me, Cap. It’s better this way.”

Steve let out an abrupt sigh and nodded in defeat. Did Tony volunteer to record this thing to mess with him? Why did everything have to be new? 

Steve rounded the corner to his office and stopped. There in front of his window hung a banner with the words “Be a hero! Stay inside” plastered on it in large block letters. A line of houses with happy little people looking out the windows ran on either side of the saying. Underneath the words was the best part: a drawing of six little avengers standing a large distance apart from each other. 

Steve inched closer to the banner. Sure, the paint was cracking and the characters were vaguely more than stick figures, but it was the best banner of his friends he’d ever seen. “This is incredible. I can’t believe you did this.”

“What else is there to do while I’m stuck here with you boys?” There in the corner lounged Natasha, fully comfortable wearing her oversized baby blue pajamas and drinking her oversized iced coffee. “Besides, I wanted new bed sheets. What better way to recycle the old ones than by smearing paint all over them?”

Steve smiled as he took one more look at the banner and then sat down semi calmly in his office chair. “Thank you, Nat. Okay, Um, are we ready to roll?”

“Ready when you are, Cap.”

“Okay...okay. In three...two...one…

“Hi, I’m Captain America, and I’m here to talk about possibly the most important and most selfless act we should be doing right now: social distancing. Social Distancing is when you stay home as much as you can without visiting with others outside your household. 

“Of course, there are some exceptions to this. Many essential service workers still go to work so that we can stay safe. Doctors and nurses still work to help those who are sick and sanitation workers still do their jobs keep our cities and work spaces clean. These men and women, as well as countless others in countless other professions, show up to help slow this pandemic and to save lives.

“Now, some of you are saying, ‘But, I’m not sick. It’s okay for me to hang out with others if they aren’t sick either.’ This is the wrong mentality to have. It can take weeks for someone to start showing symptoms after they caught the virus and you can still spread it during this period. So, say you visit a friend who was sick but didn’t know it yet. During your visit you catch the virus and take it home to your family. Now a week passes and everyone in your house has a fever and difficulty breathing. This is why it is important to social distance: to stop the spread, to flatten the curve, and to save lives. 

“Thanks for tuning in today, and come back tomorrow when we talk about what to do when we need to leave our house and the safety precautions we need to take during those outings. Until then, stay safe and–”

“Hold on.”

Tony pointed the camera at Nat who was staring off into the distance. She snapped back into it and turned to the camera. “Hey everyone. I...I know this is tough. You miss your friends and family. Some of you are missing your senior year. Others are laid off work. Some may not have a stable home to actually go home to. And I know it doesn’t mean much coming from someone practically living in a mansion with a family she adores, but I’m honestly so, so proud of you. And one day this will all be over. We’ll get to go to the beach, to a wedding, to our best friend’s house, and we will begin to heal. So until then, stay safe, and may God bless you, and the United States, and every nation as we fight this virus together.”

A silent pause lingered in the air for several seconds. “And we’re out,” Tony said as he lowered the camera down to his side. He swayed back and forth until finally he couldn’t keep it in any longer. “So, you adore us?”

“Don’t make me regret saying that,” Nat teased as she got up from her corner chair and made her way out the door towards the kitchen. 

Tony tagged along right behind her. “I bet you adore me most”

“Tony-"

“I’m the one who sponsors this ‘mansion’ as you call it, not to mention the gallons of coffee you drink every day…”

Their conversation trailed off as they left Steve’s office. He smiled and spun around in his chair so he could get another look at the little smiling people on his new banner. They’re gonna get through this, and they’re gonna learn just how strong they really are.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's chapter two! Thank you so much for reading and if you have any writing tips for me, please let me know! I hope you stay safe and healthy!


	3. Staying Safe Outside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Thanks for reading this story. And I would like to point out once more that I am not a doctor. I would highly suggest reading up on these topics yourself from trustworthy sources. Anyway, on to chapter three!

“Steve, that’s the twelfth time you’ve washed your hands in 10 minutes.” Natasha sat on the kitchen countertop as she plopped a handful of berries in her mouth. “Your hands are gonna crack.”

Steve dried off his hands while eyeing the bottle of hand soap taunting him near the sink in the kitchen’s island. “I just want to make sure I don’t miss a step when I’m teaching the kids about it today.”

“I don’t think you’re gonna forget. Besides, isn’t that why you wrote this cheat sheet?” Nat picked up the piece of paper and studied it. “It’s color coded and everything.”

Steve snatched the paper from her hands and laid it neatly on the counter beside a bandana and two hair ties. “We have a lot to cover today and I forgot to mention some things last time.”

Tony waltzed into the kitchen with a glass of water in one hand and a pair of leather gloves tucked under his arm. “Has he been washing his hands again?”

Steve bit the inside of his mouth. He was sick of getting a hard time from these guys today. “Tony, I—“

“—Yeah, that’s what I thought. Catch,” Tony said as he tossed the gloves at Steve. 

“So you’re the one who stole the gloves to my suit.”

“One, I made that suit so it’s technically mine. Two, I didn’t steal your gloves, I just borrowed them to make some improvements.”

Steve hesitantly looked over the gloves, then finally put one on. “Why does it feel so sticky?!”

“Oh Captain, my Captain, that is the improvement. I infused the inside with aloe Vera gel and some other special ingredients to help sooth your poor poor hands. We don’t want them to crack.”

“That’s what I said!” Nat bounded off the counter and grabbed the video camera. “It’s a sad day when we agree on something, Stark.”

“I think we can all agree we should get this show on the road, you know, before Cap washes his epidermis clean off.” Tony lifted his glass of water to his mouth. “Get it? Clean off?”

“Yeah, we get it,” Nat said as she lifted the video camera up to her eye. “You ready, Steve? We’re rolling in three, two…”

Steve quickly glanced at his sheet and then crossed his arms. “Good evening. Last time, we discussed the importance of social distancing. But, there are times we need to enter into the line of fire, so to speak. That’s why today we’ll be discussing how to stay safe when you have to leave your house.

“Whether it be going to work, the grocery store, or the doctor’s office, there will most likely come a time when you have to go outside and potentially interact with others. There are several things you can do to limit potential contact. First, try to stay at least six feet away from other people, though if it’s possible try to stay even further away. Also, if you have any gloves or face masks at home, it is important to wear them. Now, unless you have a special N95 mask, your face covering will not prevent you from catching the illness, but it can help prevent you from unknowingly spreading it.

“If you don’t have a mask at home, you can use a scarf of a makeshift covering of your very own. I’ll show you how to make one out of a bandana and two hair ties.” Steve picked up his bandana and started folding it. “First, fold it into fourths so that the bandana turns into a long rectangle. Next, take your hair ties and put them around either ends of the bandana, sectioning it into thirds. Now take the outer sections and fold them into the middle section. At this point the bandana should look like a mask with the two hair ties at the ends. All that’s left is to put the mask to your face and loop the hair ties around your ears.”

Tony clapped his hands from the sidelines beside Nat. “What a pro, ladies and gentlemen!”

Steve removed his mask revealing his proud grin. “It’s so simple even this 100 year old man can do it. Alright, moving on.”

“Many times when we come back home we bring items inside with us. Take the groceries for instance. Several people may have handled our grocery items before we buy them, so it’s important we disinfect them before we use them. If the items are boxed, you can use a disinfectant wipe to clean the outside. If it’s not boxed and is something edible, such as fruits and vegetables, then it would probably be best to wash it in the sink. 

“Speaking of washing, it’s time we talk about washing our hands. One of the easiest ways we can prevent ourselves from getting sick is by washing our hands regularly. I’ll demonstrate.” Steve tugged at his glove to take it off, but it wouldn’t budge. He pulled harder, but it simply wouldn’t come off.

“Hey, Tony”

“Yeah?”

“My glove won’t come off.”

“Yeah,” Tony said as he took his watch off, “that’s because of one of the other ingredients mixed with the aloe.”

“Which would be…”

“A little web fluid from our dear pal Spider-man. He says hello, by the way”

Steve scoured the counter tops for a knife, a fork, anything he could use to free himself from his entrapment, but every utensil conveniently happened to be missing.

“It’s alright, buddy. Tony’s here to save the day,” he said as he walked behind the counter and rolled up his sleeves. “Hey boys and girls! It’s time to learn something you should have been taught when you were two years old! So first you turn on the water and grab your soap. It could be liquid, solid, that weird homemade stuff your wannabe cool aunt gifts you every year on your birthday, I don’t care. Next, you combine the two and make bubbles, yay! Now you rub your hands together and make sure you wash everywhere. I’m talking about your palms, your thumbs, the back of your hands, in between your fingers, under your nails, and anywhere else you feel you need to. And finally, you wash all your germs down the drain with some clean water and you dry your hands off with a clean towel. There, you’re done. This whole process should take at least twenty seconds, so sing the happy birthday song twice and you’ll be set.”

Steve slapped Tony on the back with enough force to send him to the ground. “Well. thank you for that informative demonstration, Mr. Stark. And thank you, boys and girls, for watching. Next time we’ll talk about our mental health and ways we can cope with stress during this pandemic. Until then, stay safe and may God bless you.”

“And we’re out,” Nat shouted as she lowered the camera. She bit the inside of her mouth to hold back her smile. “You boys sure know how to keep the audience on their toes,”

“You were in on this, weren’t you?”

“Just a little bit”

Steve smirked as he reached out his hand to Tony who was still laying on the floor. “I’ll admit, you did pretty good. For you, at least.”

“Thanks, Steve. That means a lot. But you know what means even more to me right now? Dinner.” Tony walked backwards towards the door. “How about I cook us some pizza?”

“That actually sounds pretty good, Stark,” Nat said as she bounded out the door behind him.

Steve smiled at the thought of pizza, but even more at the thought of taking his suit off. He reached for his helmet, but it wouldn’t budge.


	4. The True Heroes

Steve rolled over and checked the violently bright alarm clock that read 2:57am. Great. He rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling which reflected the red glow from his clock. On other nights when he couldn’t sleep, he’d imagine the red light came from a candle and he was back in his room in Brooklyn with his best friend who decided to sneak over to his house for the night. They’d sit around the flickering candle, eating whatever snacks they had stashed under the bed and telling stories well into the night. Eventually they would drift off to sleep as the candle burnt low and by the time Steve woke up in the morning he had an extra blanket wrapped around him and his buddy was long gone. Bucky did that a lot when they were kids in the 20s. Now it’s the 20s again and his friend was halfway across the world. 

Steve closed his eyes and tried to focus on something else, like the weight of the comforter resting on his body, the light hum of the ceiling fan right above him, and the scent of smoke wafting in his room. He jolted and opened his eyes. Smoke? Was there a fire? Why didn’t the fire alarm go off? Steve’s mind swam with thoughts as he rushed out the room to find the source of the smoke. He sprinted down the hall and turned the corner to the living room when he saw it: a fire in the fireplace illuminating the silhouette of a large mass wrapped in blankets.

Steve eased up to see the mass more clearly and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thor, what are you doing here?”

Thor sat cross legged by the fireplace with one hand wrapped around a blanket and the other clutching a mug. He gazed up at his friend’s face and smiled. “Steve! How wonderful it is to see a familiar face.” He took a sip from his cup and scrunched up his face.

“Yeah, yeah it’s great to see you too, pal, but what are you doing here?”

“Ah, well, I got word that earth was under attack, so I came as fast as I could.” Thor shifted the blankets off his shoulders and gently swirled the contents of his mug. “I didn’t realize the type of attack until after I got here. Before I left last time Tony showed me how to use this electronic tablet and it told me everything I needed to know. Or perhaps I should say you told me.”

Steve smiled as he took a seat next to Thor. “Glad to see those videos are spreading information.”

“And a few laughs, as well. How long did it take you to take off your gloves?”

“It wasn’t just gloves. It was my helmet, my boots. I’m just glad he didn’t mess with my underwear.”

Thor laughed as Steve hid his smile behind his hands. It had been far too long since the two of them had gotten together and had a laugh. Thor lifted his mug as if to give a cheer and then took a sip and scrunched up his face again.

“Hey Thor, what are you drinking?”

Thor gave a little cough. “Hot chocolate milk”

Steve tilted his head. “Hot chocolate milk?”

“It was something I had on one of my previous trips here. I think Natasha made it for me once and so I tried to recreate it. I got the chocolate milk from the refrigerator and put it in the microwave for a couple of minutes.”

It was Steve’s turn to contort his face. “Yeah, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that’s not how she made it.” Steve lifted himself from the floor and stuck out a hand for his friend. “I know a better way.”

The two made their way into the kitchen and Steve darted into the pantry to get his supplies. “Hey Thor? Can you get the milk out of the fridge? Make sure it's the white one.”

“Sure, but why not use the one with the chocolate?”

“Because,” Steve said as he emerged with a pack of chocolate chips, a can of condensed milk, and a bag of marshmallows, “we’re gonna make something even better.”

Thor sat the milk onto the counter and watched as Steve put a pot on the stove and mixed the ingredients together. “So, how’s the rest of the team?”

“Tony and Nat have kept busy by helping me shoot my videos, Clint’s with his family on the farm, and Bruce is in one of the labs trying to find a vaccine for this virus.”

Thor nodded his head as he poked the bag of marshmallows. “But how is everyone?”

Steve slowed his stirring, keeping his focus on the pot. “Honestly, about as good as you’d expect. Tony hasn’t seen Pepper in weeks, so his sleep pattern is pretty much non-existent now. Nat calls Clint about three times a day, mostly to prevent him from renovating his entire home. And Banner is pretty much all by himself. He doesn’t want to accidentally catch it or something and bring it back to us. But we all try to video chat him as much as we can. I’m even going to interview him in a couple of days for my segment on mental health.”

“That’s great,” Thor said as he grabbed two teal mugs from inside a cabinet. “But what about you?”  
“Oh, I’m fine.” Steve poured the hot chocolate into each cup and sprinkled a handful of marshmallows on top. “Let’s take this to the living room so we can properly enjoy this.”

The pair made their way back to the fireplace and settled in among the sea of blankets. Thor inhaled the rich chocolaty aroma as he held the warm mug to his chest. “This must be one of Stark’s good nights.”

“What do you mean?”

“I figured the one with a sleeping problem would be the first to find me here.” Thor looked to Steve who was staring at his mug. Thor gave a forced grin and finally took a sip of his drink. His eyes widened as he stared at the cup in disbelief. “This is incredible.”

Steve rubbed the side of his mug with his thumb as he gave a gentle smile. “Thanks. My mom taught me.”

“Your mother! Tell me about her.”

Steve’s smile grew as he finally looked his friend in the eyes. “She was incredible. She was the only parent I really knew. My father died before I was born so it was just me and mom against the world. She was so kind and patient. I had a ton of medical problems growing up.” Steve paused and looked over to the fire. “The only reason I had a chance was because of her.”

Thor nodded. “She was strong.”

“Strong is an understatement. And she cared so much for others. That’s what killed her.” Steve focused back on his cup, trying to ignore the intense stare focused on him. “She was a nurse in a Tuberculosis ward. Others tried to convince her to leave, to keep herself safe at all costs. But she didn’t. She couldn’t. She saved so many lives while she lost her own.”

Thor sat his mug down and put a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Selflessness seems to be a familial trait.”

“No, no that’s...there are others more like her now than I am. We get to make cute little videos while every essential worker has to make a real sacrifice. Some haven’t seen their families in weeks in order to keep them safe. Others have gotten sick. Some have even died. And we can’t save them. Don’t you get it? WE ARE NOT THE HEROES IN THIS STORY.”

Steve launched up from the ground and began to pace. All the energy in his body surged to his chest as he battled to keep his cool. He took several shaky breaths and looked up to the ceiling. “I wasn’t allowed to see her when she...I wasn’t there. I couldn’t tell her how much I loved her or how proud I was.”

Thor sat in silence, listening to the fire crackle beside him. He looked up at his friend and gave a gentle smile. “You still can, you know.”

Steve looked through blurry eyes at his friend pulling out a tablet from under a blanket. He wiped his eyes. “Do you know how to work that thing?”

“I’m sure I can work it better than you can.” Thor smirked as he began pushing buttons on the device.

“Okay, um, okay.” Steve sat down opposite Thor and ran his fingers through his hair. “Are you ready?”

“Ready in three, two, one…”

Steve let out a heavy sigh. “Hello everyone. I know this isn’t exactly how we usually do this thing, but this is a message too important to wait until morning to give. I just need to let all the essential workers out there know that they are the true heroes in this war we’re facing. I can’t imagine the strength, kindness, and compassion you all have, not just today, but every day of your lives. You are an inspiration to me and I just need to say thank you.

“And to everyone else who wishes to pass on their thanks, I ask you to do one thing. Stay home. Out of all the ways you can show them you care, this one act should not go ignored. Continue to look out for one another so that we may come out on the other side more united than we’ve ever been before.”

Steve paused as tears welled up in his eyes. “Again, thank you. I am so proud of you and I love you so much. I can’t wait until we get to see each other again. God bless you, and God bless everyone risking their lives to serve their fellow man at this time.”

Thor tapped on his tablet. “I think I stopped it.”

Steve smiled as he laid down on the floor. “I’m sure you did just fine. Not nearly as good as I would have done, though.”

Thor laid on his side and took another sip of hot chocolate. “In your dreams, old man.”

Steve rested his head on his arm and closed his eyes. “You’re older than me, old man.”

“All the more reason I should be the leader around here.”

“Well, oh glorious leader, how long will you be staying with us?”

“Oh I don’t know. I suppose I’ll stay a few days to catch up with everyone. I’ll try my hand at that video chatting thing you talked about. Won’t Banner and Barton be surprised. And I might try out a few Asgardian pranks on our two trouble making friends. Nothing too terrible. Nothing too light either. With Loki as a brother, I’ve learned quite a few invaluable pranks over the years. And, of course, I’ll be more than happy to help with your video series, Steve. Steve?”

Thor glanced over to see a peaceful Steve sound asleep on top of the blankets. Very quietly, he grabbed a free blanket near his feet and placed it gently on top of him. He smiled as he took another sip of his hot chocolate. It was good to be home.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, there you go! I plan to write a few more chapters dealing with social distancing, hand washing, mental health, and other topics. And like Cap said, If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'll try to answer the best that I can but again, say it with me now, I"M NOT A DOCTOR!
> 
> Okay, thanks for stopping by!


End file.
